Water safety 101

maintain constant supervision

Additional Information

There is no substitute for active adult supervision whenever children are in, on, or around water.

Find age-appropriate swim lessons for your child, but keep in mind that lessons do not make your child "drown-proof"

Lifeguards are not babysitters; Always remember to keep your eyes on your child

Actively supervise kids whenever around the water—even if lifeguards are present.

Do not drop your kids off at a public pool or leave them at the beach. Always designate a responsible adult to supervise.

Always stay within arm’s reach of young children, and avoid distractions when supervising children around water.

No one should ever swim alone. There should always be at least 2 able-bodied adults in or near the water at all times.

Establish rules for your family and enforce them without fail. For example, set limits based on each person’s ability, do not let anyone play around drains and suction fittings, and do not allow swimmers to hyperventilate before swimming under water or have breath-holding contests. Never swim alone. Do not dive into unknown bodies of water. Do not push or jump on others. Be prepared for an emergency.

Even if you do not plan on swimming, be cautious around natural bodies of water including ocean shoreline, rivers, and lakes. Cold temperatures, currents, and underwater hazards can make a fall into these bodies of water dangerous.

If you go boating, wear a life jacket! Most boating fatalities occur from drowning.

Before swimming, plug this information into your cellphone so you have it in the event of an emergency. When calling 9-1-1 from a cell phone, the dispatcher will have no clue where you are at. Thinking ahead saves time and possibly a life.

Also, before swimming, do a quick assessment of the pool area and its surroundings. Locate the pools main equipment shutoff in case of an entrapment incident.

Where are the tripping hazards and can they be alleviated? How deep is the deepest part of the pool, is there a slide, water features such as a waterfall or wave pool where people are more prone to drown?

Keeping all this in mind before you enter the water is one way to be sure you and your family have a fun and safe time.